Anyone have an IKEA kitchen?

Gold Member Joined: Jan 29 2006 Posts: 1142

We are renovating our kitchen in our new home. We are thinking of doing an Ikea kitchen. Would be interested in hearing from anyone who has used Ikea for a kitchen, and what their thoughts/recomendations would be.
TIA!
Debbie

Platinum Member Joined: May 13 2007 Posts: 8153

They are very hard to put together. Despite being told by the people at ikea that it was "do it yourself", we needed the help of a semi-professional handyman to do it.

Posted: Fri, Aug 21 2009, 1:09 am Post subject: re: Anyone have an IKEA kitchen?

I can't speak from experience with IKEA kitchens, but their furniture is junk. It falls apart from regular use and it difficult to assemble. The kitchens they have are very attractive but I would imagine they're the same quality as the furniture. Think twice before you go for the IKEA kitchen. The wood they use is mostly pressed wood and it stains easily. Just my opinion Smile

Platinum Member Joined: May 13 2007 Posts: 8153

Diamond Member Joined: Oct 29 2006 Posts: 4461

My experience as well. I only buy the real wood and metal furniture.
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Posted: Fri, Aug 21 2009, 7:20 am Post subject:

My IKEA furniture has never had quality issues...including those pieces that moved overseas with me. My SIL has an IKEA kitchen and I have never heard her complain about it.
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Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20599

We have IKEA cupboards (closets with hanging space, shelves, drawers) which moved, as they stood in our home in the U.S. (we didn't take them apart) and they are still alive and well here in Israel, getting ready to move to yet another home here. They still look great, but the hardware isn't always the strongest so DH (handy) keeps fixing.
I am not sure I would go with an IKEA kitchen, which is more wear and tear, but there are so many satisfied customers out there. Could they all be wrong?

Posted: Fri, Aug 21 2009, 7:31 am Post subject:

to me it sounds like the latest trend ... never heard of ikea before this week ... ooooh everybody run ...
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Posted: Fri, Aug 21 2009, 9:38 am Post subject: re: Anyone have an IKEA kitchen?

My parents have an IKEA kitchen as well as one for Pesach they converted from a bedroom in their basement -- both look amazing...I would agree though with others who said you have to be careful with IKEA stuff in general, as some is junk and only a part of what they sell is good quality...after ten years and two moves, my totally-furnished-in-IKEA-stuff apartment is down to only one piece still standing...
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Diamond Member Joined: Oct 25 2007 Posts: 4915

Although I don't have an Ikea kitchen, I've looked into their cabinetry extensively and have heard generally good things -- especially for the price. A couple of thoughts, though:

1. With a couple of exceptions, Ikea counters do not come with the countertops. You're free to use whatever you want for the countertop.

2. While I do know a few people who've done their own kitchen renovations, I definitely don't think they're "average" in their skills or experience. All of them either had a famly member who had done some sort of related construction work and was willing to help them or they were living elsewhere and had no pressure to finish the job quickly. I don't think installing a new kitchen is on the same level as putting together a bookshelf!

The subject of Ikea comes up here every once in a while, and in general, I'm a big fan of Ikea products. Reading opinions and experiences can be misleading, though, and I think there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. How is the furniture going to be used? Where? For how long? What's the cost of the alternative?

For example, I purchased their higher-end compressed wood/wood veneer bookshelves for my dining room. Based on the number I needed, the cost was approximately $1500. We are not planning on moving or even rearranging these bookshelves in the forseeable future. The cheapest "real wood" alternative was over $6000. So, yes, I'm sure the $6000 version would last longer. But how long do I need it to last? Long enough for my children to sell it from my estate?

On the other hand, I can completely understand someone choosing a real wood bed over compressed wood -- though I have a neighbor with 8 kids who absolutely swears by the Ikea "Malm" beds.

2. Is costlier, more durable furniture really a savings?

I would have to replace my bookshelves four times before they would equal the cost of the real wood alternative. Since I've had them five years already, I'd have a ways to go!

It also depends on how much you want to be "married" to a particular piece of furniture. If a $80 piece of furniture doesn't really fit into your new home or apartment, it's a lot different than a $1500 piece that looks tired or dated.

Bottom line: I don't think it's fair or accurate to characterize Ikea products as "junk" or to claim that they're the greatest thing since sliced bread. It depends entirely on what you need.

Gold Member Joined: Apr 16 2005 Posts: 1943

My last apartment (in Australia) had an Ikea kitchen. It was there when we bought the place, so I can't speak to how easy it was to install. I really liked the kitchen. It seemed very well-made to me. After living with it for two years, it showed only minor signs of wear (a few scratches on the veneer, not much else). I definitely prefer solid wood, but I was surprised how well it stood up and how nice it looked when the cabinets were only the veneer ones. I personally would not buy the "foil finish" ones (the cheapest ones), but the real wood veneer we had, I enjoyed. One feature my kitchen I that I did not like was a set of stainless steel drawers. They were not fingerprint proof, so I was always wiping them down. I had to do that multiple times a day if I wanted the kitchen to look clean.
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